Beej, I do not think the Red Sox even qualify for this post as they are currently fourth in line for a wild-card spot
been a tough season for the defending champs - they hollowed their bullpen and the starters are underperforming due to age and expectations - SO it looks like New England baseball fans will be doing the usual when the Sox fail - rooting against the Yankees, which can be fun!

The Dodgers always win divisional titles but not the WS.
The Yanks have had an incredible season despite numerous injuries. Come WS time,
the Yanks should have all their regulars back.
Yanks over Braves in the WS.

lobo316 wrote: The Dodgers always win divisional titles but not the WS.
The Yanks have had an incredible season despite numerous injuries. Come WS time,
the Yanks should have all their regulars back.
Yanks over Braves in the WS.

The key will be starting pitching of course, and whether we get an ace-like Severino back, along with any trade we might make. Severino on his game and a trade for someone like Marcus Stroman pretty much ensures a WS title. Going in with our current rotation makes it a bit more tenuous, although some guys have been stepping up lately.

If the Yankees get back all of their missing weapons and don't win the World Series, it could cost Boone his job. They have played incredible baseball with Stanton, Severino, and Betances out virtually all year, and Judge missed a couple months too. The chemistry with that team right now is just perfect, and hopefully they keep it that way. I pick them to win. I can also see a scenario where the Astros beat them in a seven game LCS.

____________________"Jack Brisco grabbed my testicles once but I told him "Brisco, you have exactly 15 minutes to get your hands off my balls"." -WongLee 7/22/2017

Superstar wrote: If the Yankees get back all of their missing weapons and don't win the World Series, it could cost Boone his job. They have played incredible baseball with Stanton, Severino, and Betances out virtually all year, and Judge missed a couple months too. The chemistry with that team right now is just perfect, and hopefully they keep it that way. I pick them to win. I can also see a scenario where the Astros beat them in a seven game LCS.
The Astros pitching is great, but this year the Yankees could probably even hit them in the postseason. Their hitting has been a real revelation, not in terms of just hitting home runs as always, but in stringing singles and doubles and taking walks and fouling off tough pitches to extend counts - all in ways I haven't seen from this team since the dynasty heyday that ended in 2001. Even Judge is shooting opposite field frozen rope singles all over the place this year. This team can REALLY hit. Everyone seems to channeling LeMahieu, who has easily become my favorite Yankee to watch hit in 15 years. If the Yankees have a postseason collapse, I agree that Boone probably has to go.

srossi wrote: Superstar wrote: If the Yankees get back all of their missing weapons and don't win the World Series, it could cost Boone his job. They have played incredible baseball with Stanton, Severino, and Betances out virtually all year, and Judge missed a couple months too. The chemistry with that team right now is just perfect, and hopefully they keep it that way. I pick them to win. I can also see a scenario where the Astros beat them in a seven game LCS.
The Astros pitching is great, but this year the Yankees could probably even hit them in the postseason. Their hitting has been a real revelation, not in terms of just hitting home runs as always, but in stringing singles and doubles and taking walks and fouling off tough pitches to extend counts - all in ways I haven't seen from this team since the dynasty heyday that ended in 2001. Even Judge is shooting opposite field frozen rope singles all over the place this year. This team can REALLY hit. Everyone seems to channeling LeMahieu, who has easily become my favorite Yankee to watch hit in 15 years. If the Yankees have a postseason collapse, I agree that Boone probably has to go. You mention LeMahieu, whom I've always liked watching with Colorado. I wondered if his game would translate in NY because he had such awful home/road splits. But the fact that no matter where he's batted in the lineup here, he's always had somebody really solid behind him. So they have to pitch to him. And he just hits it wherever it's pitched. But I knew he was good. The guy that REALLY is exciting to me is Gio Urshela. I don't care if the guy hits .210, he's the best fielding 3B on the Yankees since Graig Nettles. All of the analytics guys don't take fielding into account, but you win games if you can field a team that can play in the field. I don't think it's any coincidence that the Yankees were winning games with a lesser lineup than regular, because they've saved so many runs this year. They went a month with Urshela at 3B, Torres at SS, LeMahieu at 2B, and in the corners they had Gardner and Maybin, with the latter playing some CF too. Voit isn't a terrible 1B by any means, and with Hicks back they have one of the more solid fielding OF in the AL. That's why I love this team - never thought I'd say that about the Yankees again. It's so much fun to watch real baseball and Aaron Boone running the show has to be enjoying it because they play the way he played the game.

____________________"Jack Brisco grabbed my testicles once but I told him "Brisco, you have exactly 15 minutes to get your hands off my balls"." -WongLee 7/22/2017

Superstar wrote: srossi wrote: Superstar wrote: If the Yankees get back all of their missing weapons and don't win the World Series, it could cost Boone his job. They have played incredible baseball with Stanton, Severino, and Betances out virtually all year, and Judge missed a couple months too. The chemistry with that team right now is just perfect, and hopefully they keep it that way. I pick them to win. I can also see a scenario where the Astros beat them in a seven game LCS.
The Astros pitching is great, but this year the Yankees could probably even hit them in the postseason. Their hitting has been a real revelation, not in terms of just hitting home runs as always, but in stringing singles and doubles and taking walks and fouling off tough pitches to extend counts - all in ways I haven't seen from this team since the dynasty heyday that ended in 2001. Even Judge is shooting opposite field frozen rope singles all over the place this year. This team can REALLY hit. Everyone seems to channeling LeMahieu, who has easily become my favorite Yankee to watch hit in 15 years. If the Yankees have a postseason collapse, I agree that Boone probably has to go. You mention LeMahieu, whom I've always liked watching with Colorado. I wondered if his game would translate in NY because he had such awful home/road splits. But the fact that no matter where he's batted in the lineup here, he's always had somebody really solid behind him. So they have to pitch to him. And he just hits it wherever it's pitched. But I knew he was good. The guy that REALLY is exciting to me is Gio Urshela. I don't care if the guy hits .210, he's the best fielding 3B on the Yankees since Graig Nettles. All of the analytics guys don't take fielding into account, but you win games if you can field a team that can play in the field. I don't think it's any coincidence that the Yankees were winning games with a lesser lineup than regular, because they've saved so many runs this year. They went a month with Urshela at 3B, Torres at SS, LeMahieu at 2B, and in the corners they had Gardner and Maybin, with the latter playing some CF too. Voit isn't a terrible 1B by any means, and with Hicks back they have one of the more solid fielding OF in the AL. That's why I love this team - never thought I'd say that about the Yankees again. It's so much fun to watch real baseball and Aaron Boone running the show has to be enjoying it because they play the way he played the game.

Urshela has been great with the bat too. He's numbers with runners in scoring position was through the roof the first half of the season, although I see signs that he may be coming back to earth now. But he's been a revelation offensively and defensively, like you said, he's the best since Nettles. Really puts on a show.

The whole team is just clicking. Gardner is playing well, and that guy's been an automatic out for years. He's finally directing that fire in a positive direction. Sanchez magically learned how to block balls this year too. Everyone is killing it in every aspect of the game. It's exciting baseball. I hate watching home run or strikeout every at-bat, but this team plays the game the right way even when hitting home runs.

kargol wrote: Given the world in the title, I'm guessing Yomiuri Giants.
You realize that most of the best players in the world, including Japan and all the Latin America countries, come to MLB to play, right? You have this hang-up on "World" as if the entire world isn't already participating. There are scouts watching 10-year olds in Nigeria throwing balls of yarn at this point. If you're on the Yomiuri Giants or any other country's team, it's probably because you're not good enough.

srossi wrote: kargol wrote: Given the world in the title, I'm guessing Yomiuri Giants.
You realize that most of the best players in the world, including Japan and all the Latin America countries, come to MLB to play, right? You have this hang-up on "World" as if the entire world isn't already participating. There are scouts watching 10-year olds in Nigeria throwing balls of yarn at this point. If you're on the Yomiuri Giants or any other country's team, it's probably because you're not good enough.

This is why MLB jobbers like Tuffy Rhodes and Randy Bass go over there and absolutely clean up. It's just not the same level of play.

____________________"Well, maybe I like the nightlife just a little bit more than I like the damn gym, jack! And when you're makin' $500,000 a year, there ain't no reason to change what you're doing." - Dusty Rhodes, 1/4/1986

Blazer wrote: srossi wrote: kargol wrote: Given the world in the title, I'm guessing Yomiuri Giants.
You realize that most of the best players in the world, including Japan and all the Latin America countries, come to MLB to play, right? You have this hang-up on "World" as if the entire world isn't already participating. There are scouts watching 10-year olds in Nigeria throwing balls of yarn at this point. If you're on the Yomiuri Giants or any other country's team, it's probably because you're not good enough.

This is why MLB jobbers like Tuffy Rhodes and Randy Bass go over there and absolutely clean up. It's just not the same level of play.
Same with Tom Selleck. Mr Baseball Indeed!